Edmund Spenser Sonnet 30
Sonnet 30 by Edmund Spenser figurative devices theme
My love is like to ice, and I to fire: simile comparing his love for her to fire, hers for him to ice
How comes it then that this her cold so great
Is not dissolved through my so hot desire,
But harder grows the more I her entreat? Rhetorical question relating to her increasing coldness towards him the more he desires her
Or how comes it that my exceeding heat
Is not allayed by her heart-frozen cold, personification of the frozen heart
But that I burn much more in boiling sweat, alliteration to emphasize the burning heat he feels towards her
And feel my flames augmented manifold?
What more miraculous thing may be told, alliteration to emphasize the miracle of her ability to remain cold towards his heat and desire for her
That fire, which all things melts, should harden ice, theme—the more he desires her, the colder she is in return and in reality, that isn’t the typical reaction with the elements of fire and ice
And ice, which is congeal'd with senseless cold, theme—is her coldness towards him “senseless”? The poem supports her “harden[ed]” feelings towards him the more he demonstrates his love or attraction to him. Why then does he use the word “senseless” to characterize her feelings, isn’t she purposeful in rejecting his love?
Should kindle fire by wonderful device? Theme—his fire continues to “kindle” or grow the more she freezes him out suggesting that he won’t give up no matter how cold she is in return.
Such is the power of love in gentle mind, Who has the “gentle mind”? Her? Him? Neither? The poem suggests that the “power of love” is a neutralizer that can balance both the fire and ice that each persona represents in the poem.
That it can alter all the course of kind. Really? Can his love alter her mind set against him?
Directions: Find and highlight three figurative devices for this poem with your first color.
My love is like to ice, and I to fire: simile comparing his love for her to fire, hers for him to ice
How comes it then that this her cold so great
Is not dissolved through my so hot desire,
But harder grows the more I her entreat? Rhetorical question relating to her increasing coldness towards him the more he desires her
Or how comes it that my exceeding heat
Is not allayed by her heart-frozen cold, personification of the frozen heart
But that I burn much more in boiling sweat, alliteration to emphasize the burning heat he feels towards her
And feel my flames augmented manifold?
What more miraculous thing may be told, alliteration to emphasize the miracle of her ability to remain cold towards his heat and desire for her
That fire, which all things melts, should harden ice, theme—the more he desires her, the colder she is in return and in reality, that isn’t the typical reaction with the elements of fire and ice
And ice, which is congeal'd with senseless cold, theme—is her coldness towards him “senseless”? The poem supports her “harden[ed]” feelings towards him the more he demonstrates his love or attraction to him. Why then does he use the word “senseless” to characterize her feelings, isn’t she purposeful in rejecting his love?
Should kindle fire by wonderful device? Theme—his fire continues to “kindle” or grow the more she freezes him out suggesting that he won’t give up no matter how cold she is in return.
Such is the power of love in gentle mind, Who has the “gentle mind”? Her? Him? Neither? The poem suggests that the “power of love” is a neutralizer that can balance both the fire and ice that each persona represents in the poem.
That it can alter all the course of kind. Really? Can his love alter her mind set against him?
Directions: Find and highlight three figurative devices for this poem with your first color.